95 CholeS Passes the Test

Abstract Background With ∼66,660 cholecystectomies performed annually in the UK, it would be beneficial to better stratify predicted operating difficulty and time to improve theatre utilisation and thus optimise patient care and hospital productivity. The CholeS score is a predictive model for operative duration in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies developed from a UK wide study in 2014. This study aims to evaluate the CholeS score's validity in our patient cohort, offering insights into its effectiveness and reliability as a scoring tool. Method We retrospectively reviewed all patients who were listed for an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (May 2023 - October 2024). Collected data included patient demographics, CholeS score parameters and operating time. Results A total of 105 patients were included, with a median age of 54 years (IQR 37-64) and a median BMI of 29 kg/m2 (IQR 25-34). The most common indications for surgery were biliary colic (46%), cholecystitis (30%), or duct stones (10%), with the majority requiring only a simple laparoscopic cholecystectomy (89%). The results showed a positive Spearman correlation between CholeS score with operating time (p<0.0001), particularly in those that required an operating time >90 mins (p=0.0018). In this cohort, independent risk factors for operating time >90 mins included: male gender, thickened gallbladder, and prior admissions (p<0.05). Conclusions This study validates the correlation between CholeS score and operative time in our patient cohort. These findings support the continuing use of the CholeS score to help stratify cholecystectomy complexity for optimising theatre list utilisation.